SO23 Water

Key Information

Summary

On the Hungarian-Austrian border area, the Pinka is a multiple border crossing and border constituting watercourse, which water supply is used by both Austria and Hungary, however the water supply’s utilization framework is not supported by studies based on sufficiently detailed data. For the Pinka, the watercourse management is only possible through jointly discussed principles, both in terms of quantity and quality. Primarily the quantitative and qualitative expectations of the inflow and outflow in the limit gauges are needed to be defined from Woppendorf to the estuary. For the maintenance of the ecological good state of the Pinka, the constitution of small water river management is essential, which enables the planning and preparation of the good practice regarding the operation of fish ladders, bypass channels, backwater supplies, and power plants. An important purpose of the joint strategic plan regarding the Pinka border area is the preparation of the integrated treatment plan, on which basis both parties handle water supplies, water utilizations, ecological regulations, flood protection and interventions by the same methodology. The project’s main result is exploring both the present water supply and the effects influencing the water supply of the Pinka, and also exploring the relationship between the Pinka and the valley ground water, furthermore recording the load and physico-chemical status of the watercourse. On the other hand, it serves as a basis for the regulation measurements in favor of the bilateral water management. The project supports primarily the work of the bodies operating under the Water Convention between the two countries and the authorities responsible for water protection, and provides valuable information for the population living along the Pinka, as well as for the affected professionals (water management, nature protection, higher education, power plants, agriculture, municipilalities, NGO-s, etc.).

Key Information

Summary

In the last decades the joint river basin of the Leitha/Lajta River has been affected by several floods which caused widespread damage in the neighbouring regions of Austria and Hungary. The flood risk in the border region can only be reduced efficiently by transnational and coordinated flood risk management as stipulated in the EU Flood Directive.

The necessary basic information, preliminary flood routing calculations and possible measures have been elaborated within the former "Ceframe" project and a bilateral Memorandum was signed with recommendations for future cooperation. Since the APSFR areas are not aligned at the border in this area, further common strategic activities are necessary for the adjustment of the safety level to the particular requirements of each of the two countries. The flood propagation of the last 37 km of the Leitha/Lajta river is a complex process where inundations, reservoirs, and several riverbeds are effective. Both countries' measures influence reciprocally the local conditions. Only coordinated efforts lead to mutual benefits.

The main objective of the project is the implementation of the bilateral Memorandum for strategic flood risk management: support the Austrian-Hungarian Water Commission (AHWC) decision making procedure with necessary investigations and calculations, fix already known problems with direct field measures, involve and exchange information with the local communities, prepare up-to-date plans for the forecasted circumstances with the essential incorporation of the ecological aspects. It is a unique opportunity to establish a tangible international flood risk management strategy, where the integrated solutions really serve the regulations of the EU Flood Directive, Water Framework Directive and Habitat Directive. Furthermore the results fit the demands from the local till the macro-regional level.

Key Information

Summary

Flood events at both, the Austrian and the Hungarian part of the catchment area of the Raab, cause flooding and, consequently, result in a risk to life and infrastructure. Therefore, it is in the interest of the organizations which are responsible for flood control and disaster management, to inform in case of floods as early as possible, how the expected flooding is going to develop - to plan an efficiently disaster response, even across borders.

The overall objective of the project is to reduce the risks of flooding in the catchment area of the Raab significantly by expected flooding in their spatial extent and temporal course are displayed in a to developing warning tool. The core outputs of the project are on the one hand the updated flood forecast model Raab, on the other hand the to be developed warning tool for displaying the expected flooding areas and the necessary precipitation and flooding scenarios catalogs on the Austrian side and the 1D-2D online models on the Hungarian side. There is a huge benefit from these developments on the one hand, for the operator of the forecast models, on the other hand, for the organizations of the flood and disaster management and the affected population of flood.

The common approach of the project is to provide dynamic information for the organizations responsible for flood and disaster prevention. With such dynamic information it may predicted, which floods are expected. This information makes it possible to carry out the action planning across borders. This project makes it possible to not only provide flow forecasts at defined water bodies, but also in addition the expected flooding areas.

Key Information

Summary

The foaming of the River Rába caused a serious problem in the area of Szentgotthárd around the millennium. To eliminate this, projects and measures have been implemented at Austrian and Hungarian territories (Rába Action Program, OPENWEHR). Since measures impact the whole catchment area of the River Rába, jointly implemented survey is necessary.

The following goals have been set for the project: with jointly implemented monitoring it will be evaluated, how the realized investments affect the condition of the Rába on its entire length, on the other hand it examines the surface water bodies’ compliance to the good state specified in the river basin management plans approved in Austria and Hungary, furthermore it makes proposals in regards of further possible measures to reach and maintain the good state.

The main result of the project partly is identifying the present pollution load and ecological state of the River Rába, both on the Hungarian and Austrian site, on the other hand it evaluates the effects of the measures taken so far, which could serve as a basis for bilateral measures. The project primarily supports the working of organisations operating according to the water convention between the two countries, and the working of water authorities, as well as serving valuable information for the population living across the Rába, making chemical and ecological water conditions of their environment visible for them.

Key Information

Summary

The Lake Neusiedl - as one of the biggest and most important natural and cultural landscapes of Central Europe – is of highest relevance for a large number of different uses. A well-functioning exchange of water and substances between the open water and the reed belt is enormously important in order to preserve good water quality. However, there are still serious deficits in knowledge and action in this regard.

The fundamental objective is to preserve and ensure good water quality and good ecological and chemical status of the lake. By implementing the project, necessary measures can be formulated. Since the lake area is divided by the state border between Austria and Hungary, this can only be reached through a common approach.

The project helps to close the wide knowledge gap by conducting enquiries with regard to the exchange of water and substances between the reed belt and the open water resp. to the significance of these processes for the water quality. By doing so, the necessary data bases for water management will be created. On the basis of the knowledge gained, a water management plan will be elaborated (main output), which forms the basis for a long-term, integrated concept aiming the protection and sustainable safeguarding of the water quality and develops recommendations on a bilateral monitoring for condition assessment of the lake.

Within the project, the reed belt forms the main focus for the first time. By elaborating the management plan from the point of view of the water sector, among others, recommendations can be made for an optimized creation of channels within the reed belt, which can contribute to securing good water quality. In addition, the approach of the condition assessment will be renewed: the lake is for the first time being dealt with as a whole (open water AND reed belt).

Key Information

Summary

Sediments and sediment management play a fundamental role in the management of rivers and their quality. The Upper (Austria) and Middle Danube (Hungary) are facing sediment related problems (e.g. river bed erosion) impacting the ecological condition, flood risk management, navigation and hydropower. Since water and sediments don’t regard borders, a cross border cooperation is needed in the area of field monitoring, numerical and physical modelling and practical river engineering measures. SEDDON II continues the basic achievements reached in SEDDON and focuses on the implementation of the suggested improvements. SEDDON II aims to improve knowledge and knowledge transfer from science to river management. Studies based on longer-term programs will lead to targeted and efficient measures in order to improve the ecological status and flood risk management. The key outputs of the project are i) a modern hydraulic engineering laboratory (HEL), being a unique research infrastructure with a discharge of up to 10 m³/s, allowing the study of basic processes and interrelations with river engineering measures; ii) a joint monitoring and modelling system, including the set up of new sediment monitoring stations and an expeditionary river survey system (ERiSS) in the HU section of the Danube, similarly to the station already existing in AT, and a comprehensive modelling throughout the project implementation, covering low, mean and high flow situations; iii) a guideline for joint river engineering measures based on the combination of large scale physical modelling with new numerical modelling using data from field monitoring. By using the new HEL an innovative infrastructure is available for exchanging knowledge between AT and HU, including experts, students and the public (also in the framework of the EUSDR flagship project DREAM). From the outcomes of SEDDON II the entire population along the Danube River will benefit.